8 tipsy tips to get the most out of craft beer festivals
By Ng U-Sern and Mili Lim
ESTIMATED READING TIME: 2 minutes
It’s a totally different ‘beer-game’ with Craft Beer Festivals as they generally offer huge varieties of different beers from different breweries.
Therefore, –
Fact: So many beers
Limitation: Time and consumption capacity
Solution: 8 tipsy tips to get the most out of Craft Beer Festivals
Craft beer festivals are a category of its own, encompassing an experience wholly distinct and separate from other so-called ‘beer festivals’ in Malaysia which are really just ‘events headlining one or a handful of beer brands’ (Heineken’s Thirst, Tiger’s Translate, GAB’s Oktoberfest, and so on.)
TAKEAWAY: HERE’S AN ACRONYM TO REMEMBER ALL 8 TIPS
Clothes, Drive, Info, Sober, Taster, Untappd, Eat & Hydrate, Brewers
CDISTUEB
I’m kidding about the acronym. Let’s dive into it:
1. COMFORTABLE CLOTHING CONSIDERING CLIMATE CONDITIONS
Choose your apparel based on the general temperature and humidity of the venue.
Bring a small towel for sweat or (beer-god forbid!) beer spills.
2. TO DRIVE, OR NOT TO DRIVE.
If you can, use Grab, Uber, or a taxi.
If you must drive,
- bring along a friend you can trust to drive you home safely, and
- as a contingency plan, download the Grab app, Uber app, or remember where the taxi stand is located.
3. DON’T PROCRASTINATE GETTING INFORMATION ON THE CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL
Apart from the basics such as knowing when and where the event is being held, some of the other information you should look out for include:
- Am I interested in the Craft Beer Festival’s beer range, food variety, and/or scheduled activities?
- What sort of packages or tickets are available, and can I SAVE MONEY by getting an early bird discount?
- Can I get information about the venue set up (including the restroom location) and a map of the beer stands?
4. ARRIVE AT THE CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL SOBER
Pre-drinks are not necessary, mates.
5. TASTERS TO DISCOVER THE RIGHT BEER FOR YOU BEFORE GETTING A FULL GLASS OF IT
Most craft beer festivals will provide the option of tasters to get more variety at lesser volumes.
When you’re at a craft beer festival with over 100 different types of beers, being selective of which beers you purchase in a full glass is crucial so that you don’t waste belly space, and the taster option helps you explore the variety of beers before discovering your favourite.
Bonus Tipsy Tip: Break away from your beer bubble, taste beers you’ve never even heard of before!
6. HEY BEER DRINKER, HAVE YOU DOWNLOADED UNTAPPD?
Untappd is this awesome application to share and discover your favourite beers. For Craft Beer Festivals,
Untappd is particularly useful for –
- its beer check-in function where you can keep track of the beers you’ve drunk, and
- its user-generated beer ratings, comments on beer taste profiles, and beer info, all of which serve to help you understand and better enjoy the beer you are drinking.
Here is a toast to Untappd!
7. CARDINAL PRINCIPLES: EAT PERIODICALLY, KEEP HYDRATED
Food for sustenance: Food in your stomach slows down the absorption of alcohol into your bloodstream.
Water for hydration: One glass of water after every two beers. Alcohol is a diuretic (i.e. it removes fluids from the body) and may lead to dehydration, one of the causes of hangovers.
8. BREWERS AT THE FEST? HERE ARE THREE TALKING POINTS FOR YOU
Let there be craft beer! And so there was craft beer, brewed with the passion and creativity of its brewers.
Meeting the brewers at a Craft Beer Festival is a great opportunity to find out about the range of beers they have and the story behind their breweries. Here are three talking points:
- Of all the beers you’ve brewed, which is your favourite and why?
- What is the story behind your brewery?
- Can you please recommend me a beer that is <insert tasting terms>?
Hope these tips maximise your beer fest experience!
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